Form 5558
An application for more time to file the Form 5500 series return — up to two and a half months, approved automatically when it is filed on time.
The essentials
What it does
Moves the return's deadline from the last day of the 7th month after the plan year ends to the 15th day of the 3rd month after that — 31 July to 15 October for a calendar-year plan.
When to file it
On or before the return's normal due date. Filed later, the extension is not automatic.
Signature
None. Form 5558 needs no electronic signature, which makes it the quickest filing there is.
Approval
Automatic if it is filed by the normal due date and asks for no more than the maximum. You will not hear back — that is the process working.
How filing it here works
- Answer ten questions about the plan and the employer.
- We compute both dates from the plan year end, so there is no deadline arithmetic to get wrong.
- Every government check runs before it is sent.
- File in minutes and keep the acknowledgement for the plan's records.
This page explains the form in general terms. It is not tax or legal advice, and the plan administrator remains responsible for what is filed.